Lost, 1.1

Lost is an odd duck. We've all heard that it's the most influential show of the 21st century (for better or worse), creative children everywhere, and so on. It might be more important, though, for all the stuff that went on simultaneously behind the scenes and out on the internet. Messr's Cuse and Lindelhof are (again, for better or worse), the models of every modern showrunner. The fan engagement, hint-dropping, and creative course-changes in response to social media… This is all unprecedented, industry shattering stuff. And, like most works of pop culture with this level of saturation and impact, the actual quality of the show has gotten lost in the fervor. I, personally, had never seen a full episode before tonight, even though I'm at least familiar with the story of the show. So for these recap / response thingies, I'm going to try and stay away from all of that crap. I want to focus on the show as a piece of televised art, not as a facebook thread. Gentle reminder; I'm going to watch and blog the entire show, one episode per post, at least one post per week. There will be blood. Let's rock!

 Pilots are always lumpy. They're shot months before the series, with a big budget but a lot of creative constraints. The best of the breed present intriguing characters, a compelling world, and throw in enough drama to make the audience NEED to tune in next week. That's an awful lot to get through in 40 minutes. But, happily, Lost gets a solid 1.5 of those three. The worldbuilding is terrific, starting off in a more-or-less recognizable reality to make the intro smoother, and then throwing a healthy dose of batshit insanity into the second half of the episode to keep things interesting. Everything here (the island, marooning, giant monstrous beastie) is archetypal enough that it would feel familiar in lesser hands, but Abrams & co execute well and pace it perfectly. The gorgeous Hawaiian locations help immeasurably, lending the proceedings a feeling of isolation, an almost claustrophobic sensation of being completely cut off in the midst of all that greenery. Technical credits are stellar across the board. The various parts of the plane just look fantastic, and provide a nice differentiation and energy as the plot shifts.

Oh right, there's a plot. Abrams, Cuse, and Lindelhof are riffing on standard variations of old stories. There's a doctor on the plane because of course there is, and he has a tortured backstory because obviously. That scene between Jack and Kate is the worst thing in the pilot by far. Mathew Fox plays it just fine, but the story is such a cliche that it sucks all momentum clean out of the show. At this point, I'm hoping he was lying or something similarly intriguing, but one doubts it. Jack is set up as a leader and protagonist early on, which may or may not be a good thing. Fox is plenty charismatic enough to carry the show, but the writers are saddling him with a massive square of a character. Similarly, Evangeline Lilly is a very pretty blank, and really isn't given much to do beyond look scared.

My hope, even at this early stage, is that the show gives itself over to the ensemble. Dominic Monaghan has such a great, sparky energy as the not-at-all what he seems Charlie, and watching him clash with Jack seems like a much better use of both characters. Jorge Garcia gives good funny, but there's a sweetness and sincerity to him that could make for a very fine dramatic character, given some time and room to breathe. And, of course, there's Terry O'Quinn. I have no idea who he's playing or what that gentleman was doing on the plane. It doesn't matter. I have to think the showrunners know what a weapon that man is. He's shot and framed like a God in the pilot, and…. well, no idea. But something. Definitely something.

I don't know if I'd call Lost a good pilot. There's an admirable amount of attention to detail, but the whole thing simply feels too of-a-piece with too many earlier, better things. Still, the location is beautiful, the production immaculate, and the characters are either specifically drawn, or played by good enough actors that I don't mind too much. I'm intrigued, and looking forward to the next episode. That's about all one can ask. See you on Sunday for the next Twilight!